USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > Amwell > The history of the First English Presbyterian Church in Amwell > Part 16
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THE THIRTEENTH PASTOR, REV. JOHN H. SCOFIELD,
1872-1874.
The Rev. John H. Scofield of the Presbytery of New Brunswick was the thirteenth pastor of this Church. He moderated a meeting of the Session as pastor-elect as ring early as January 13th, 1872. He was residing at French- town at his wife's home at the time of his call. He had been for some time without charge on account of impaired health. Mr. Scofield was installed pastor of this Church by a committee of the Presbytery, February 20th, 1872. The Rev. Daniel R. Foster preached the sermon, pre- ided and proposed the constitutional questions. The Rev. George S. Mott gave the charge to the pastor and he Rev. John D. Hewitt gave the charge to the people. The Rev. Samuel Harrison was present and assisted in hese services.
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The elders of the Church at this time were John H. Johnson, Zebulon Stout and William G. Hill.
The annual congregational meeting was held March IIth, 1872. Lewis Sutphin was Chairman of this meet- ing, and Caleb F. Quick, Secretary.
The Trustees elected were John Y. Bellis, William B. Prall, Lewis Sutphin, Lewis C. Case, Jacob Quick, Caleb F. Quick and Robert W. Hunt.
The annual congregational meeting held March 10th, 1873, was presided over by Clinton B. Blackwell, with C. F. Quick as Secretary. The Trustees elected were the same as in 1872, with the exception that Clinton B. Blackwell was chosen in the place of John Y. Bellis.
At this meeting a vote of thanks was given to Joseph W. Wood for presenting and securing the passage of a bill by the Legislature, by which the parsonage lot and buildings thereon were exempt from taxation, and for paying the necessary expenses of the same.
The Session met at the parsonage April 13th, 1872, and decided to take action for adding to their number. For this purpose they placed in nomination for the office of Ruling Elder, John Y. Bellis, George P. Rex. M. D., and Abraham J. Prall. April 27th was appointed for this election. Notice of this action was given from the pulpit on the following Sabbath, and also that the Church would have the privilege of adding to the num- bers, and also of nominating persons for the office of dea- con. The Church assembled accordingly on the 27th. No additional nominations for Ruling Elder being made.
It was resolved to take the vote, "viva voce," when John Y. Bellis, George P. Rex, M. D., and Abraham
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J. Prall were unanimously elected to the office of Ruling Elder.
The Board of Deacons then, through the Moderator, placed in nomination for the office of deacon, Samuel V. Conover, William B. Prall and John E. Holcombe. These persons were at the same time and in the same manner unanimously elected to the office of deacon. After the sermon these persons were ordained to their respective of- fices, by prayer, and the laying on of hands. The Ses- sion at once convened, and the newly-ordained elders took their seats in the Session. The deacons were in- vited to confer with them. The subject under consider- ation was a plan of collections, with a view to encourage systematic beneficence. This matter was deferred to a future time for action. July 6th, the plan presented and adopted was to take a collection for each cause recom- mended by the General Assembly, and on the days sug- gested by the Assembly. On all other Sabbaths the col- lections taken were to supplement the deficiency of sub- scriptions for incidental expenses, and the balance to be used by Session for beneficence. But there was friction in the working of the plan, and in November it was decided to divide the collections taken on other days than those devoted expressly to the causes of the Boards, equally be- tween the Trustees and the Session. The subject was up for further consideration and improvement of the plan at the April meeting following. But with all this conference and plan there was no advance in the benefi- cence of the Church, except to Foreign Missions, during the last year of this pastorate, while the gifts to other causes were decidedly less than under the previous pastor.
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This effort shows that the subject of beneficence is not an easy one to handle in this congregation. The following persons were received into the membership of the Church while Mr. Scofield was pastor
March 30th, 1872. On examination: Miss Hannah M. Rex, Mrs. Sarah L. Waters. On certificate: Har- rison Sutphin and Caroline Sutphin, his wife.
March Ist, 1873. On examination: Rachel W. Con- over, John Waters, Peter Quick Holcombe, Emma So- phia Bellis, Abraham Prall, Jr., Mrs. Anna Cornelia Prall, Mrs. Ara Hill Blackwell, Mrs. Catherine Louisa McPherson and Miss Hannah M. Sutphin.
May 31st. On certificate: Miss Jeannette McPher- son, Mrs. Annie E. Crouse, Samuel H. Hageman, Mary C., his wife, John N. Giles, Sarah C., his wife, Aaron Auten and Sarah M., his wife.
September 5th. On examination: Miss Caroline V. D. Case.
October 4th. Miss Catherine C. Case.
December 6th. Mrs. Susan Hageman.
January 31st, 1874. Elizabeth Ann Hilyer.
At a meeting of Session, December 27th, 1873, the pastor informed the Session that he had received a call to the Presbyterian Church of Kingston, N. J. After consideration by Session the pastor was advised to lay the matter before the congregation on the next Sabbath. This was done, and at the meeting of Session, January 31st, 1874, it was decided to call a congregational meeting "next Monday," "to take such action as may be deemed wise." The result was that William G. Hill and Dr. George P. Rex. were appointed commissioners to repre-
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sent the Church at the meeting of Presbytery, to be held at Princeton, February 3rd, 1874. The pastor and the commissioners were heard at this meeting and the pastoral relation between Rev. John H. Scofield and the Amwell First Church was dissolved. The Session obtained leave to supply their own pulpit until the next stated meeting of Presbytery.
The Session met February 28th, 1874, with the Rev. Robert S. Manning as Moderator. Dr. Rex was ap- pointed Clerk of Session. It appears that fifteen persons were received into the membership of the Church on ex- amination, and ten on certificate during Mr. Scofield's pastorate.
The records also show that during this pastorate there were frequent meetings of the Session for conference and prayer, seeking thereby to promote the spiritual condition of the Church. It is also evident that the pastor was zealous in labor, and in counsel to increase the benefi- cence of the Church. Earnest efforts of his, in the cause of temperance are also on record. The Session likewise united in a strong yet tender testimony against dancing, and counseled the members of the Church "to abstain from this practice so as to avoid the very appearance of evil."
During this pastorate, as already stated, three new mem- bers were added to the Session. But at its first meeting, after this increase, the Session was called upon to give a letter of dismission to Elder John H. Johnson, who had removed from the congregation.
Mr. Upham, at his last report, had stated the mem- bership of the Church at 134. Within two months after Mr. Scofield, his successor became pastor, the annual re-
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port was called for. The Session revised the roll for this purpose, and found the membership on the ground to be only 112, which shows the usual removals and losses to have taken place. And two of these had been received by Mr. Scofield before this report was made. In the fol- lowing year, though eleven (II) new members had been received, so large had been the removals by death and by letter, that the Church could report but 109 mem- bers. And in the following year, 1874, the report made out, but a short time after Mr. Scofield had left, though twelve had been received, such had been the losses that the membership was 108.
The statistical reports for the two years of Mr. Sco- field's pastorate show that this Church contributed to the Boards of the Church for 1873, $142, and $60 to the Bible Society, being a total of $202.00, and in 1874 the contributions to the Boards were $130, and $55 to the Bible Society, being a total for beneficence of $185.00. With this very creditable showing the Church contri- buted for its own work $1,970 in 1873, of which $1,000 was for the pastor's salary, being the highest as yet paid by the Church, and this was a year of "hard times, too." The pastor also received $150 as donation. The esti- mated rent of the parsonage was $350, and $268 the in- cidental expenses. The membership of the Sabbath School was $150.
In 1874 the salary continuing to be $1,000, the do- nation was $300, rent of parsonage rated at $350, and expenses of Sabbath School $137, and incidental expenses $160, making a total of the Church for its own work $1,947 for the year. It was during Mr. Scofield's pas-
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torate that the Church began to report an estimated rent of the parsonage as a part of its money raised annually for its own expenses. This custom is continued to the pres- ent time. I believe this to be unwise, and even without right; without right because the cost of the parsonage was reported, and the Church had credit for the money paid when the parsonage was built, and also in 1869, when a small balance of the expense on the same was paid. Having thus been given to the Lord, the Church has no more right to credit itself with interest on this money than it has to credit interest on any other money given for Church or benevolent purposes. It is entirely right for the Church to say it pays its pastor the stated salary, and gives him the free use of the parsonage, which increases his salary to that amount. This is doubtless what is aimed at.
The unwisdom of it, beyond the fact stated, is this, that it represents the ability of the Church for benevo- lent work to be greater than it actually is, for it is a recognized principle that what a Church is able to do annually for its own work becomes a safe standard of its ability to do for work outside its own borders.
It now remains for me to give a brief sketch of Mr. Sco- field's life. John Henry Scofield was born at Schuyler- ville, N. Y., 1833. He graduated at Princeton from the College in 1860, and from the Seminary in 1863. He was licensed to preach the gospel June 10th, 1862, by the Presbytery of Stillwater, and ordained to the gospel min- istry July 28th, 1863, by the Presbytery of North River. He was pastor of the Church at New Hamburg, N. Y., from 1863 to 1868; pastor-elect at Dayton, N. J., '69-
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'70; pastor of Amwell First from 1872 to 1874, and at Kingston, N. J., from 1874 to 1880. In this pastorate at Kingston Mr. Scofield did his most important work, both in gathering persons into the membership of the Church, and in promoting the cause of Christian benefi- cence. One hundred persons united with the Church at Kingston, while he was pastor there, of whom two-thirds were received on examination.
From Kingston Mr. Scofield went to East Hampton, Mass., where he resided from '80 to '84, at which time his sons were preparing for college. He was not engaged in pastoral work at this time. He was installed pastor of the Mt. Olive Church, in the Presbytery of Morris and Orange, May 29th, 1884. He continues in that field at the present time, his residence being at Budd's Lake, N. J. As already stated, Mr. Scofield married Miss Ann Elizabeth Hedges, a descendant of Governor Reading. This relationship has been sufficiently spoken of in con- nection with that distinguished family.
THE FOURTEENTH PASTOR, REV. JOHN S. BEEKMAN,
1875-1878.
After the pastoral relation between Rev. John H. Scofield and the Amwell First Church was dissolved, the Presbytery appointed the Rev. R. S. Manning to declare the pulpit vacant February 15th, 1874. The Session met February 28th, presided over by Mr. Manning. Dr. George P. Rex was again elected Clerk of Session. Dr. Rex made out the report to Presbytery April following: At this meeting of Presbytery Dr. George S. Mott was appointed Moderator of your Session.
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At the meeting of the congregation April 27th, 1874, Caleb F. Quick was elected Chairman, and Clinton B. Blackwell, Secretary. The Trustees elected were Wil- liam Bellis, William B. Prall, Lewis Sutphin, Lewis Case, Peter Q. Holcombe, Caleb F. Quick and John H. Williamson.
The congregation engaged the Rev. William C. Mac- beth as a stated supply for the pulpit for the next six months.
Mr. Macbeth occupied this pulpit a few Sabbaths af- ter this engagement expired. His last service was No- vember 8th. The Rev. John S. Beekman preached here as a candidate November 29th, and continuously until January 3rd. The next day-January 4th, 1875-a call was made for the pastoral services of Mr. Beekman, which call he accepted. The salary named in the call was $900. He was installed as your pastor February 16th, 1875, by a committee from the Presbytery of New Brunswick. This committee consisted of Rev. John D. Hewitt, who presided, preached the sermon, and proposed the consti- titutional questions. The Rev. C. H. Asay gave the charge to the pastor, and the Rev. George S. Mott, D. D., gave the charge to the people.
The elders at this time were Zebulon Stout, William G. Hill, John Y. Bellis, Abraham J. Prall and George P. Rex, M. D. March 6th the Session met and re- ceived the following persons into the membership of the Church. On examination: Mrs. Hannah Wood, widow of James W. Wood, and Catherine Van Est Sutphin, wife of William Sutphin. On certificate: Mrs. Helen B. Beekman from the Reformed Church of Metuchen, and
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Harriet Mary Williams (colored), from the same place Received April 19th. On examination: Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Wortman and Miss Selina Bonnell Wortman.
October 23. The Session arranged for a series of meetings to be held "previous to our next communion," and to begin Wednesday, December Ist.
November 8th. The Session, by a unanimous vote, adopted as the book of song the Presbyterian Hymnal, which is still in use.
The Session met December 4th and received into the membership of the Church on examination: Miss Eliza- beth C. Sutphin, and Sunday morning, December 5th, John K. Shurts and Miss Sallie A. Waters.
February 4th, 1876. The Session met and received into the communion of the Church, on examination: Wil- liam Deats, George S. Davis, William Osborn and Moses Lapsley; also Miss Hannah M. Hill, Miss Catherine Quick, Miss Cassie Rex and Miss Mary Fink.
February IIth. The following persons were received on examination: John S. Hoagland, Jacob Osborn, Miss Juliette Blanche W. Beekman, Miss Addie H. Prall, Miss Mary Quick, Miss Mary D. Hoagland, Mrs. Eliza Hill, Mrs. Martha H. Young and Mrs. Esther Ann Osborn.
February 19th, Miss Luella Stryker and John W. Dalrymple.
March 4th. The Session received the following per- sons into Church membership on examination, viz: Bar- ton Huffman, David B. Huffman, Lewis Getherd and Miss Maggie K. Smith. And on certificate: Nathaniel
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G. Wilson and Mrs. Caroline A. Wilson, his wife, and Mrs. Sarah V. Pierce.
At the communion service held March 5th, twenty- three persons who had been received on examination since February 4th, made a public profession of their faith in Christ, of which number twelve were baptized. These, with the three received on certificate, gave an addition of twenty-six (26) to the membership of the Church. While having this large accession to the membership of the Church, the Session at its meeting March 4th took action against two of the members of the Church, re- quiring them to abstain from the communion on the fol- lowing Sabbath. The reason assigned in one case for allowing gambling on his premises, against which he had been counseled previously, and the other for misconduct, for which there had been as yet no previous action taken.
November 12th, 1876. By the unanimous action of the Session, it was agreed that this Church would be among the number of associated and adjacent churches to contribute annually to the support of any missionary that might be employed either by the Classis of Philadelphia, or members of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, to la- bor among the people living on Sourland Mountain. This endeavor was put into successful operation, and it is a matter of history, effected a marvellous change for the better in that field.
March 13th, 1877. The Session received, on examina- tion, Millard Farrow and Theodore Todd. These were the only persons received into the Church for the year ending April Ist, 1877.
June 2nd, 1877. The Session received, on certificate,
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Mrs. Magdalene Waldron, Mrs. Joanna Farrow and her daughters, the Misses Naomi, Helen and Emma. These four came from the Methodist Church in New- ark, and the five were the only ones received during the year ending April, 1878.
During the first year of Mr. Beekman's pastorate, if we extend it back to the time of his installation in Febru- ary, instead of beginning with April, thirty persons were received into the Church on examination and ten on cer- tificate. During the second year two persons were re- ceived on examination and none on certificate, and in the third year five were received on certificate and none on examination. The total number received during this pastorate was thirty-two on examination and ten on certificate, or forty-two in all, which gives a higher yearly average of additions than has occurred in most of the pas- torates. And Mr. Beekman's first year ranks among the most prosperous in the Church's history, while the addi- tions during the second and third years place the record among the lowest. We should remember, however, that it is a very common experience to have a year of large ingathering, followed by a period of very small ingather- ing. This has been true here, in the time of other pas- tors, and true in many other churches. It is at the same time evident that these last two years of Mr. Beekman's pastorate were years of trouble and dissatisfaction. The Session had on its hands an unusual number of cases of discipline. In some of these the persons dealt with were suspended, in others, explanations were accepted as sat- isfactory. Finally, however, there was an outbreak of
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unpleasant feeling between members of the Session and the pastor.
The "records of the congregation," to which we shall refer in speaking of their action, show the same state of feeling to have existed between some of the Trustees and the pastor. This trouble had the usual result, viz: to diminish the receipts of the treasury.
Justly or unjustly this uniformally follows. I mention these things, not to take sides with or against either par- ty, but in giving the history, to be true to "the truth of things." The "difficulty" was before the Session for de- liberation, where it properly belongs, if it must be at all, as early as September 14th, 1877. At this time the pastor stated his willingness to tender his resignation, to take effect not later than the first of April next, on condition that the salary due him be paid, and that he may have the use of the parsonage until needed by his successor. This proposal was finally concurred in by the congrega- tion. This was stated to the pastor at a meeting of the Session held April 6th, 1878, and all salary due him up to April Ist was paid at this time, and receipt given. Mr. Beekman then requested the Session to call a meeting of the congregation to appoint commissioners to Presbytery to unite with him in a request for a dissolution of the pastoral relation existing between himself and the Am- well First Church. This was done and the relation was dissolved by Presbytery at its meeting held a few days after this action.
The following is a brief record of the meetings of the congregation while Mr. Beekman was pastor :
The first annual meeting of the congregation following 17
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the installation of Mr. Beekman was held May 10th, 1875. Of this meeting William G. Hill was elected Chairman and Caleb F. Quick, Secretary. The report of the Trustees was read and approved. The following persons were chosen Trustees for the ensuing year, viz: William W. Bellis, William B. Prall, Lewis Sutphin, Jonathan B. Higgins, Peter Q. Holcombe, John H. Wil- liamson and Martin J. Bellis. Martin J. Bellis was chosen President and Treasurer of the Board.
The annual meeting for 1876 was held on the 10th of March. Clinton B. Blackwell was elected Chairman and C. F. Quick, Secretary of this meeting. After two adjourned meetings the congregation met and elected the following Trustees : William W. Bellis, William B. Prall, Lewis Sutphin, Lewis C. Case, Peter Q. Holcombe, Halloway Streeter and Martin J. Bellis. Martin J. Bellis was again elected President and Treasurer of the Board.
A special meeting of the congregation was called for February 6th, 1877. The purpose of this meeting was stated in the call "to consider what should be done in order to raise the money to pay the salary then in ar- rears." William G. Hill was elected Chairman of this meeting and Clinton B. Blackwell, Secretary. The Treas- urer reported that the deficiency in salary on April Ist next would be $216, and for incidentals $53.99. Expla- nations were called for, but only partially given. It was then moved that the chair appoint a committee to wait on the pastor and inform him that the congregation could pay him only $700 yearly.
The chair decided the motion was out of order, and
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refused to put it. It was then moved to appeal from the chair, which motion also he refused to entertain, saying he would leave the chair if the attempt was made to com- pel him to put the motion before the meeting, declaring the motions contrary to the rules of Presbytery.
The motions were withdrawn and the meeting ad- journed.
The annual meeting of the congregation was held April 7th, 1877. William G. Hill was again elected Chairman, Calab F. Quick was chosen Secretary. Af- ter deliberation the meeting adjourned to April 23rd. The Treasurer read his report, which showed there was yet due Mr. Beekman $258.55, and for incidental ex- penses $34.73.
The following persons were chosen Trustees, viz: Wil- liam B. Prall, Lewis Sutphin, Thomas Miller, Peter Q. Holcombe, Robert R. Smith, Holloway Streeter and John Quick. John Quick was elected President and Treasurer of the Board.
A meeting of the congregation was called January 14th, 1878. Of this meeting George P. Rex, M. D., was chosen President, and M. J. Bellis, Secretary. The Treas- urer, Mr. John Quick, stated that the object of the meet- ing was to consider the raising of $400, the sum then due the pastor and some current expenses. A committee was appointed, consisting of A. J. Prall and Zebulon Stout, and as the records show the money was secured.
There was again a very large number of removals from the congregation while Mr. Beekman was pastor, as there had been in previous years. When he came to the Church the report to Presbytery showed 108 mem-
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bers in connection with the Church. Though he re- ceived 39, yet when he left the membership was 105.
We regret to add that there was also a falling off in the benevolent contributions of the Church, during the same period. During the first year 1876 the total con- tributions to the causes under the care of the Boards of the Church was $99.46. Of this amount $56.00 were for Foreign Missions, contributions to miscellaneous causes and for incidentals, amounted to $210.50. As the Church had uniformly given to the American Bible So- ciety, it is to be presumed a part of the "miscellaneous" went to this cause.
In 1877 the total contribution to beneficence is $117, with a probable contribution of $59 to the Bible Society, as that is the amount found under the head of "miscel- laneous." In 1878 the sum total was $94, with a pos- sible $50 to the Bible Society. The total amount of congregational expenses for the congregation for these three years is $3,541.
It is one of the pleasant thing to be stated of Mr. Beekman' pastorate, that to him and Mrs. Beekman be- longs the credit of having organized the Woman's For- eign Missionary Society of this Church. We have no record of this organization in any of our books. And all the early minutes of the Society are lost. But I learned the fact, in my researches in Philadelphia in behalf of the Church. The books of the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society of the Presbyterian Church, kept in that city, and to which our Society reports through its Pres- byterial officers, show that the first contribution from the Society of Amwell First Church was sent in 1877. This
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